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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472495">thank you for the music</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mairimm/pseuds/mairimm'>mairimm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Can be platonic or romantic, Fix-It, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gen, Getting Together, Halloween, I Love You, Light Angst, M/M, Mamma Mia! References, Musicals, Post-Episode: s02e06 Epidemiology, References to ABBA, Temporary Amnesia, Zombies, up to you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:41:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mairimm/pseuds/mairimm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Recently I’ve been talking to Britta, and, well, remember Halloween last year? And how we don’t remember anything, and our strange aversion to ABBA music ever since?”<br/>Annie looks at her roommates questioningly, and Troy and Abed slowly nod in affirmation.<br/>“It's so weird, and, well, Britta, being a psychology major, suggested we overcome these troubles in a way that appeals to us all. Give me one second,” Annie says as she rushes back to her room and emerges with her hands behind her back. “Behold: a movie-night-exposure-therapy double feature… The ultimate way to get us back into ABBA…”<br/>Annie brings her hands around to reveal a blue DVD case with eight smiling people.<br/>“Mamma Mia!”</p><p>OR</p><p>Trobedison watches Mamma Mia! to try and remember what happened that one Halloween night... Trobed stuff happens</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Edison/Britta Perry (implied), Troy Barnes &amp; Abed Nadir, Troy Barnes &amp; Annie Edison &amp; Abed Nadir, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>thank you for the music</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>#andamovie</p><p>This show (along with many, many others) is my comfort show. I wanted to try writing a Trobed fic because I love them, and they are soulmates. Even if platonic, they are still soulmates. They are. Yes. I also thought it would be interesting to explore what might have happened if they never forgot Halloween, or eventually remembered it somehow. I tried to stay as canon-compliant as possible.</p><p>If/when the movie happens, there better be lots of hugging and amazing reunions between my boys. yes, yes</p><p>Anywho... I hope you enjoy the fic!</p><p>(ps danny pudi's birthday is march 10! say happy birthday!)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “Good morning, Abed!” Annie pads into the kitchen, still groggy from just waking up. “How did you sleep?” </p><p>   Abed looks up from his bowl of Lucky Charms. “Good morning, Annie,” he says in response. “I slept the same I always do, thank you.”</p><p>   Annie nods in response and settles in at Abed’s left side, not-so-discreetly rubbing the sleep dust from her eyes. </p><p>   “You know, you really shouldn’t eat that stuff for breakfast every day,” Annie says, gesturing towards Abed’s bowl of sugary cereal. “It’s very unhealthy.”</p><p>   Abed sighs internally. Ever since Annie moved in, she’d been trying to find her place within Troy and Abed’s dynamic: her most recent role being the mother figure.</p><p>   “You know, you really shouldn’t criticize your new roommate’s eating habits,” Abed mimics Annies tone, “It’s very annoying.”</p><p>   Annie makes her little <em> I'm offended </em>gasp, high-pitched and short. Her eyelashes flutter and her bottom lip quivers, creating what the rest of the study group has come to refer to as the 'Disney face'. Thankfully, the only witness is Abed, who, unlike everyone else, has never fallen prey to Annie's self-victimization.</p><p>   Troy is still sleeping in the blanket fort, but according to Abed’s notes, he should be waking up soon, at eight-thirty. As much as Troy hates waking up early, his internal clock won’t let him wake up past the time classes normally start at Greendale.</p><p>   In fact, if Abed’s watch is correct (which it always is), Troy should be up and at ‘em in <em> 5, 4, 3, 2-- </em></p><p>   “Hey, guys,” Troy stumbles out of the fort, yawning sleepily. “What’s up?”</p><p>   “Annie and I were just discussing my Lucky Charms,” Abed gives Troy a small smile before turning back to his breakfast.</p><p>   Troy reciprocates the smile, then shuffles towards the cabinets and pulls out a box of said cereal to pour himself a bowl.</p><p>   “What about them?” Troy inquires. “Were you talking about the leprechaun on the box?”</p><p>   He finishes pouring and thrusts the box towards Abed and Annie.</p><p>   “Because I get it. He’s <em> so creepy, </em>” Troy hisses at his roommates. “It’s a little secret of mine, but I’m legit terrified of leprechauns. Little green men who play tricks? No thank you.”</p><p>   Annie giggles. “No, we weren’t talking about that, but I see your point, Troy! They <em> are </em> kind of gross…”</p><p>   “However, according to Irish folklore, they can grant three wishes,” Abed interjects. “So strange as they may be, they aren’t all bad.”</p><p>   “You have a point there, buddy,” Troy squeezes Abed’s shoulder before sliding into the seat on his right. “They might not be totally evil.”</p><p>   “Well, no. A leprechaun is the son of an evil spirit and a degenerate fairy,” Abed corrects him. “They’re pretty evil. At least, David Russel McAnally thought so.”</p><p>   "<em>Pfft- Anally.</em>" </p><p>   “Did he invent leprechauns?” Annie asks, ignoring Troy's snickering.</p><p>   “Assuming they exist, then no. But he was one of the first authors to introduce them to non-Irish people through his literature.”</p><p>  “Man, how do you know all this crap?” Troy asks, half-awed, half-incredulous. “You’re awesome, Abed.”</p><p>   Troy nudges Abed with his shoulder, causing Abed to laugh and drop his spoon into the bowl of cereal.</p><p>   As the two friends watch the handle slowly disappear into the sea of marshmallows and milk, Annie observes them with raised eyebrows.</p><p>   “Well, um, I wanted to ask, before I forget,” Annie clears her throat, breaking the spell, “Are you two having your movie night tonight?”</p><p>   Abed and Troy look at Annie apprehensively.</p><p>  “Annie, did you really think we <em> wouldn’t </em> have a movie night tonight? It’s Saturday. We’ve never missed one, and if that weren’t enough, tonight is a very special night. <em> Kickpuncher </em>star Don 'the Demon' Donaldson’s 45th birthday is today!” Abed exclaims, while Troy vigorously nods over his shoulder.</p><p>   “What kind of a name is <em>Don Donaldson</em> <em> , </em> and why is he-- Never mind!” Annie exclaims. “What matters is that I want to join! And I have a movie suggestion!”</p><p>   “Actually, Annie, we were going to have a <em> Kickpuncher </em> marathon in honor of the Demon,” Troy says, timidly, “But maybe we could watch whatever you have next weeke--"</p><p>   “Hear me out!!” Annie interjects, a bit more aggressively. “You guys might've noticed, but I’ve been spending some more time with Britta lately, and--”</p><p>   “Yeah, wait, why have you two been hanging out so much, anyway?” Troy inquires while Abed nods.</p><p>   “Yes, according to most relationship studies and rom-coms, you two have been alone together so much it could be considered suspicious.”</p><p>   Annie flushes a bit, then shakes her head. “That’s not the topic of this conversation.”</p><p>   “But we could always change the topic.”</p><p>   “Abed, let me finish.</p><p>   Annie takes a breath, recentering herself. </p><p>   “Recently I’ve been talking to Britta, and, well, remember Halloween last year? And how we don’t remember anything, and our strange aversion to ABBA music ever since?”</p><p>   Annie looks at her roommates questioningly, and Troy and Abed slowly nod in affirmation.</p><p>   “It's so weird, and, well, Britta, being a psychology major, suggested we overcome these troubles in a way that appeals to us all. Give me one second,” Annie says as she rushes back to her room and emerges with her hands behind her back. “Behold: A movie-night-exposure-therapy double feature… The ultimate way to get us back into ABBA…”</p><p>   Annie brings her hands around to reveal a blue DVD case with eight smiling people.</p><p>   “<em> Mamma Mia! </em>”</p><p>   The apartment is silent as Troy and Abed look at the case, then Annie, then each other.</p><p>   “...Annie,” Troy begins, slowly, “I’m sure Britta thought that was a good idea, but… Abed and I already have plans, and, y’know, Abed really hates musicals since our… Run-in with the glee club--”</p><p>   “Our Glee episode,” Abed interjects.</p><p>   “Yeah, the Glee episode, y’know, he just doesn’t trust singers and--”</p><p>   “<em> NO!! </em>”</p><p>   Troy falls silent as Annie interrupts him with a screech.</p><p>   “Sorry,” Annie clears her throat and looks away, cheeks slightly flushed. “It's just, I <em> promised </em> Britta we would do this. It’ll be fun, you’ll see. You’ll <em> enjoy </em> it. And you'd be lying if you said you weren't curious about what happened that night, anyway, right?”</p><p>   Abed and Troy look at each other once more. She had a point, it would be good to get some closure. And on a more concerning note, Annie hadn’t been this erratic about something since the pen incident. </p><p>   "Alright, Annie, sure," Abed says after a moment. "Let's see if torturing us with an ABBA musical will restore our memories."</p><p>   "Oh, yay!" Annie squeals and rushes over to pull her roommates into a group hug. "Hey, even if it doesn't work, we'll have fun! I absolutely adore <em> Mamma Mia! </em>"</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>   “Hey, buddy, how ya feeling about the change of plans?”</p><p>   Abed is sitting cross-legged on the ground next to his char in front of the television. He looks up at Troy and waits until the other man is seated comfortably next to him before responding.</p><p>   “I’m slightly annoyed at how sudden it was, as well as the fact we won’t be able to give the <em> Kickpuncher </em> movies the recognition they deserve,” Abed says plainly, turning back to the blank T.V. in front of him. “However, nothing compelling enough to make an episode happened to the study group this week, so I think something was bound to happen over the weekend. Can you imagine what the network would say if we skipped a week? Maybe Britta and Annie’s therapy tactics will make for good television.”</p><p>   “Hm, that’s a good point you make there,” Troy nods</p><p>   Abed continues staring ahead at nothing.</p><p>   Gently, Troy grabs Abed’s chin and turns his face to look Troy in the eyes. He doesn’t even register the intimacy of the touch until it’s too late, so he decides to just roll with it. </p><p>   “Are you sure <em> you’re </em>alright, though? You’ve been pretty out of it all day.”</p><p>   After the conversation at breakfast, Annie felt it was necessary to tell Britta about her success straight away, so the two had gone out somewhere, probably a vegan coffee shop or something equally Britta-friendly. She hadn’t yet gotten back, but she still had twenty minutes until the scheduled start time, so Troy wasn’t stressed. However, he was pretty worried about Abed. When Annie had walked out the front door six hours prior, he just muttered <em> cool, cool cool cool, </em>and ducked into the blanket fort, where he had stayed for the rest of the day before positioning himself in front of the T.V., where he was now, in preparation for movie night. Troy had thought it would be best if he gave Abed some alone time during those six hours.</p><p>   “You know, I don’t think the network would mind if we didn’t have an episode this week, we could always bail on Annie’s idea,” Troy half-smiles, still gazing into Abed’s eyes.</p><p>   Abed tilts his head. “No, the network would definitely mind. Our show might even be canceled.”</p><p>   Abed slowly turns back to looking at nothing. “If my suffering makes for good T.V., then by all means, let’s make some good T.V.”</p><p>   Troy sighs, giving up on trying to help Abed for now. He turns to watch the empty box in front of him as well when he feels a hand on his.</p><p>   “I appreciate your concern, though,” Abed says, squeezing Troy’s hand. “Thank you.”</p><p>   Troy feels his face warm a little, but puts it into the back of his mind. The two of them sit in comfortable silence, hand-in-hand, until Annie bursts through the front door, face pink, hair mussed, and a huge smile on her face.</p><p>   “I DIDN’T MISS IT! I’m back on time, I didn’t miss it,” she says, slightly out of breath. “Movie time!!”</p><p>   “You were out with Britta for a long time.”</p><p>   Abed’s comment isn’t a question, nor an accusation. Just that -- a comment.</p><p>   Annie’s face doesn’t get any redder, seeing as she’s clearly winded from rushing home. Still, her response drips with embarrassment and apprehension.</p><p>   “Please, Abed, there’s no need,” Annie says, crossing her arms. “Besides, if me spending time with Britta is so strange, then why do you expect me to treat the fact that you and Troy are holding hands any differently?”</p><p>   Annie gestures towards the two boys, still holding hands on the floor of the apartment. Abed quickly lets go of Troy’s hand, and Troy does the same. They look at each other, a little red in the face, then Abed looks towards Annie after a short moment.</p><p>   “Are you ready to start the movie?” He asks, his voice clipped.</p><p>   Annie smirks and pulls out the DVD case. “Yep, right on time!”</p><p>   She sticks the DVD into the player and looks back at her roommates.</p><p>   “Are you guys gonna use the chairs, or…?”</p><p>   Troy shakes his head. “You can sit in mine.”</p><p>   “Okay, thanks!” Annie smiles brightly and plops herself down onto Troy’s chair. “Where’s the remote? Let’s start!”</p><p>   Abed pulls out the remote, presses play, and starts fast-forwarding through the FBI warnings. “You didn’t know this, seeing as this is your first movie night with us, but I usually control the remote. Sorry, Annie.”</p><p>   “Don’t be sorry!” Annie replies, cheerful as ever, “I was just wondering!”</p><p>   “Okay. Now shhh, the movie’s starting.”</p><p>   Troy has always admired Abed’s dedication to movie-watching. Even now, in a situation he hates, with a movie he wishes he didn’t have to watch, Abed still cares about giving the film his undivided attention.</p><p>   On the screen, bride-to-be Sophie reveals to her friends her plot to invite her three possible fathers to her wedding in a catchy rendition of <em> Honey, Honey. </em></p><p>   Troy feels a sharp pain in his stomach and glances sidelong at Abed, who has drawn his legs in from the prior cross-legged position and is clutching the remote with white knuckles.</p><p>   “Ugh, looks like the effects of the therapy are already kicking in,” Annie half-chuckles, arms wrapped around her waist.</p><p>   Troy furrows his eyebrows at her, head beginning to throb in a slow, dull headache. </p><p>   “This was your idea, Annie. You don’t get to complain.”</p><p>   Annie merely nods, a nauseated expression on her face. Yet as the song comes to a close and the final chorus is sung, the three roommates find their ailments subsiding. </p><p>   “Hey, that wasn’t so bad!” Annie smiles down at Troy and Abed. “If we just experience that for every song, then we’ll survive -- and we’ll be cured of our ABBA allergy!”</p><p>   And that’s what happens. Another song plays as Sophie’s mother, Donna, frets about her money troubles, and later meets with her old bandmates. Everything goes swimmingly (in the movie and in Britta’s therapy experiment) until Donna spies her former lovers and the title song begins.</p><p>   Suddenly, Troy is hit with a thundering headache, and his friends seem to be doing no better. Annie curls in on herself with a whimper, while Abed squeezes his eyes shut as tightly as he can. Troy starts to feel dizzy, and notices with dismay that his vision is starting to go spotty and everything he can hear sounds muffled. A staticky noise fills his ears, and just when Troy can’t hear anything other than the crackles, everything goes black.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>♬ Mamma Mia, here I go again. My, my, how can I resist ya? ♬</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    Gotta find the thermostat. God, why did so many people choose to come to this party? The playlist sucks, the food sucks, the location sucks-- </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Ugh, no, focus, Troy. Get to that thermostat. </em>
</p><p>   “Zombie Shirley, I don’t know what you are, but… In your face!”</p><p>
  <em>    Sucker punch!! Wait. Who’s got my arm? Abed? </em>
</p><p> “Abed! We’re friends!”</p><p>
  <em>    No, no, nonono-- Ah. Yeah, he got me. Ow, damn. </em>
</p><p>   “Abed, no! Aah! Britta?”</p><p>
  <em>    Everyone’s a zombie… Now I’m going to be too. Oh God, Abed, why? ...It’s not his fault. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Agh, why are they still biting me? </em>
</p><p>   “Okay, okay, I been bit, y’all. Damn. Congrats, You did what zombies do.”</p><p>   <em> Too bad they can’t understand me. Whatever. Get to the thermostat before it’s too late. Don’t make that punch to the Dean’s face a lost cause. </em></p><p>
  <em>    It hurts… Get-- the thermostat-- Argh… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>   What the hell? Zombies? Troy opens his eyes, headache slightly subsiding and white noise fading. He looks over at Abed, who seems to be emerging from a similar episode. Next to him, on the chair, Annie’s eyes fly open.</p><p>   “A-abed,” she chokes out, “Pause the m-movie!”</p><p>   Abed merely shakes his head while squeezing his eyes shut. “No, it looks like your therapy idea is working, this song doesn’t sound like nails on a chalkboard anymore.”</p><p>   He’s right. <em> Mamma Mia </em>plays on in the background, but it doesn’t hurt to listen to it anymore. Well, no more than ABBA would hurt a normal person.</p><p>   “Please, Abed,” Annie says hoarsely, “I feel sick. I’m gonna go to the bathroom--”</p><p>   She suddenly stands up and dashes down the hall towards the restroom. Abed opens his eyes, and after a moment of silence, clears his throat and appears to focus his attention back on the movie.</p><p>   Troy looks sidelong at Abed.</p><p>   “You gonna pause it for her?” </p><p>   “No, stopping the exposure might ruin its effects.”</p><p>   Troy is quiet for a moment as the song ends and the story progresses on the television.</p><p>   “Abed, did you see a flashback or anything like that?”</p><p>   Abed looks at Troy.</p><p>   “Yes, I did.”</p><p>   Abed’s always been good at masking how he feels, especially since he doesn’t feel much anyways, but on the flip side, Troy’s always been good at reading him. And Abed looks scared.</p><p>   “Abed, I don’t really remember much yet, but I know it wasn’t really you who attacked me like that,” Troy says slowly, reaching out for his friend’s hand and grasping it. “It was a zombie. I’m not mad at you or anythi--”</p><p>   “Shh,” Abed interrupts, jerking his hand away and refocusing on the screen. “There are more songs to come, more memories to remember. This can wait.”</p><p>   The lighting is crappy, and Abed’s face is turned away, but Troy swears he can see a tinge of pink on Abed’s cheeks. In front of them both, the T.V. blares on, so Troy pushes away his hurt and confusion and tries to enjoy the movie.</p><p>   As another song plays, the two roommates experience throbbing headaches at the start, but find that the music is once again bearable once it ends. Neither Troy nor Abed is pulled into another flashback. That is, until Donna’s friends decide it would be a good idea to sing <em> Dancing Queen </em>to their dejected pal.</p><p>   Abed looks at Troy, eyes flashing.</p><p>   “I think I’m going under again, are you?”</p><p>   Troy only nods in response, already hunched over in preparation. Abed squeezes his eyes shut tightly as the white noise once again fills his ears.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>♬ See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen! ♬</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p> “The army!?”</p><p>
  <em>    Not surprising. I’ll say it with the same emotion as everyone else, but not surprising. Makes perfect sense that the army would come, actually, given the zombie breakout. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Jeff wants us to go to the study room? Let’s get to the study room. Time to pull out my survival skills. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    To the study room, to the study room, to the study room.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Dodge.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Jump. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Chang’s in the way. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Jeff called Chang a ‘little bitch’. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    In the study room, in the study room, in the study room.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Barricade the door…  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    We made it. We’re safe. For now. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    I don’t want to die. At least, not now. There are too many things I still don’t know. Dying in a zombie apocalypse would be cool, cool cool cool, just like a movie… But I can’t die with Troy still mad at me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    I’m pretty sure he’s mad at me, at least. I wonder why…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>   Abed’s eyes flutter open and he looks to Troy, who emerges from his flashback as the song ends.</p><p>   “Why were you mad at me?” Abed tilts his head. “I also noticed that our costumes weren’t coordinated, which is strange for us.”</p><p>   Troy looks away, embarrassed.</p><p>   “I thought we were going to wait until after the movie to talk about things.”</p><p>   “Right,” Abed amends and looks back at the screen as Sophie sails around the island with her dads. “Cool. Cool cool cool.”</p><p>   The two sit in silence as the film progresses. Sophie learns more about her mother, then meets up with her fiance. A bachelorette party begins. All the while, more songs are sung, and Troy and Abed suffer in silence, slowly getting into the rhythm of it.</p><p>   “Hey,” Troy begins, “There’s been a bunch of songs in a row now, but none of them have sent us into a--”</p><p>   Troy is cut off by what feels like a little man inside his head slowly tearing off chunks of his brain. </p><p>   “Oh, well, there we go-- Agh-- C’mon dude, this one’s just a party song, it doesn’t even progress the plot!”</p><p>   At least the transition into the flashback is quick this time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>♬ Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight. Won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away? ♬ </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    It's normal that someone in the group lied about getting bit, though slightly disappointing that our only doctor was one of them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    It's also very normal that the other was Britta. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Well. Now we’ve gotta take them down. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    … </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Fucking Chang. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Chang. Killed. Annie.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    And broke the window. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Exposing us to the zombies. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Well. Now we’ve gotta get the hell out of this room. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Dodge. Jump. Leap. Jeff’s a surprisingly good fighter, considering how he’s been acting all night. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Oh no. Chang and Shirley. Stuck in the bathroom. </em>
</p><p>   “We have to help them!”</p><p>
  <em>    It’s the right thing to do, the hero thing to do, but Jeff says I can’t do it. And Troy’s screaming unintelligibly. Is he worried about me? He still seemed mad in the study group, especially about the costume change. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    This basement is dark.  </em>
</p><p> <em> Can't think of a better time to talk to him. Well, I can, but this is sort of our only option. </em></p><p>   “Troy, why did you ditch your costume?”</p><p>
  <em>    He’s deflecting, saying we might die down here. </em>
</p><p>   “All the more reason to get this ironed out. You called me a nerd up there. What defines a nerd? Committing to an awesome Halloween costume with your best friend, is that what nerds do?”</p><p>
  <em>    Oh, I irritated him. He’s mad again.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    For once, I’m glad that Jeff interrupted. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Back to the plan. Save Greendale, save the world. Like heroes do. </em>
</p><p>   “Okay, that door should lead upstairs and the thermostat will be right there--”</p><p>
  <em>    No longer glad that Jeff interrupted. Now he wants us to escape? But the others will die. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    He’s just going through the door. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    He’s so dead. </em>
</p><p>   “He doesn’t want to dirty his suit.”</p><p>
  <em>    I agree with Troy. For real? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Suddenly my B-plot conflict with Troy doesn’t seem as important. We just need to get out of here. Now. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    But only one of us can. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    And it has to be him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Why? I don’t know. But if we die, he needs to know that he’s still important to me. Even if he thinks I’m a nerd. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    He’s out the window, so why isn’t he gone? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    …  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Oh. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Love. He loves me. And he said so. </em>
</p><p>   “I know.”</p><p>
  <em>    A nice Star Wars homage seems like the way to go in this instance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>    And now I die. A hero’s death. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>   “Woah.”</p><p>   Abed opens his eyes to see Troy staring at him.</p><p>   “Woah,” he agrees. “That explains a lot.”</p><p>   Troy shakily turns back to the television, blinks a few times, then looks back at his friend. Or is "friend" the right word anymore?</p><p>   “Abed,” he says tentatively, “Can we stop the movie, now? I think I remember enough.”</p><p>   “It wouldn’t feel right to end a movie night without finishing the movie, though,” Abed says, but picks up the controller and presses pause. “And I still have some gaps in my memory that need filling.”</p><p>   “We can continue in a minute.”</p><p>   Troy’s voice is firm, but not angry. Abed doesn’t know what to make of it. Their relationship, along with their dynamics with all of their friends, has changed so much in the past year. Who knows where they might be had they remembered that one night.</p><p>   “Why did that night have to be the one we forgot?” Troy speaks exactly what Abed had been worrying about. It's part of why they’re so close, Abed thinks. </p><p>   Troy stares down at his trembling hands.</p><p>   “And why did <em> that night </em> have to be the night where I figured that stuff out?” Troy continues, starting to sound distressed. “I could have been happy for the past year!”</p><p>   “You aren’t happy?” Abed doesn’t like that. He’s the best at reading Troy. If Troy’s been hiding the fact that he’s unhappy…</p><p>   “No--no, I am,” Troy quickly responds. “Just… Not as happy as I could be, I guess.”</p><p>   His eyes dart upward to look at Abed, who stares blankly back.</p><p>   “What would make you happier?” Abed sounds genuinely curious.</p><p>   “Guess,” Troy deadpans.</p><p>   “A bigger apartment? A different major? A car? Or maybe-- Oh,” Abed realizes, and looks, wide-eyed at his best friend. “So, what you said in the basement was real? And still real now?”</p><p>   Troy just nods. His eyes search Abed’s face, looking for a hint to what Abed might feel.</p><p>   “Cool. Cool cool cool,” Abed finally says.</p><p>   Troy stays silent for a moment before realizing Abed isn’t going to say anything else.</p><p>   “Abed,” Troy begins slowly, “How do <em> you </em> feel about that?”</p><p>   Abed blinks.</p><p>   “Oh, I thought that was obvious, since Han <em>did </em>love Leia back. I love you too, Troy.”</p><p>   A smile creeps onto Troy’s face. Such a simple phrase, a phrase both of them had already known was true. <em> I love you too, Troy.  </em></p><p>And nothing more needs to be said.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!!</p><p>There was originally going to be a kiss scene and stuff but I'm really horrible at writing that stuff. I decided to leave it up to the readers' imagination -- do they kiss? Finish the movie? Does Annie come back? TBF, this could be interpreted platonically WHICH TOTALLY ROCKS TOO!<br/>Ah, the power of the mind.</p><p>I'm always looking to improve, so please leave comments if you have any suggestions (or if you just liked the fic)! I love reading them and they make my day :)<br/>Kudos/comments are streets ahead!</p><p>#andamovie</p></blockquote></div></div>
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